Life-guard or obstruction-remover for tram-cars and the like.



J. BOWRING. LIFE GUARD 0R DESTRUCTION BEMOVER FOR TEAM CARS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2, 1908.

Patented Apr. 27, 1909.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. BOWRING.

N REMOVER FOR TRAM CARS AND T HE LIKE.

LIFE GUARD 0R OBSTRUGTIO APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2, 1908.

Patented Apr. 27, 1909.

6 SHEETS- SHBET 2.

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J. BOWRING. LII-E GUARD 0R OBSTBUGTION REMOYBB FOB TRAM CABS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 2, 1908.

8 SHBETSBHEET 3.

v J. BOWRING. LIFE GUARD OR DESTRUCTION REMOVER FOB. TEAM CARS AND THE LIKE.

' APPLICATION FILED MAE. 2, 1908. 91 9,688.

Patented Apr. 27, 1909.

6 SHEETS-SHBBT 4.

J. BOWRING. LIFE GUARD 0R OBSTRUCTION REMOVER FOR TEAM CARS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION IILBD HA3- 2, 1908.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

Patented Apr. 27, 1909.

J. BOWRING. LIFE GUARD 0R OBBTBUGTION BEMOVBR FOB TBAM CARS AND THE LIKE-f APPLICATION FILED HA3. 2, 1908. I

Patented Apr. 27, 1909.

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JOSEPH BOWRING, OF MANOHESTER, ENGLAND.

LIFE-GUARD OR OBSTRUCTION-REMOVER FOR TEAM-CARS Application filed March 2, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosEPn Bownme, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and resident of Manchester, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Life-Guards or Obstruction-Removers for Tram-Cars and the Like, of which the following is a speci fication.

This invention relates to lifeguards or obstruction removers as commonly used on tramcars for removing any person or object lying in the track of the car, and it refers to obstruction removers of the type in which a vertically hanging gate or fence and a hinged tray are used, the gate when swung rearwardly causing the lowering of the lront edge of the tray on to the roadway.

he primary object of the invention is to combine with the said gate or lence, which is situated at the end of the car, a further gate or fence, which is arranged at the side of the car, and to provide means whereby, Oneither of the gates being swung inward below the car, the other gate is also swung inward, thereby insuring that the front edge of the tray shall be lowered whether the end gate or the side gate strikes, or is struck by the obstruction.

A further object is to cause the side gate to swinginward slightly in advance of the end gate and to an elevation where it will be completely out of the way of any obstruction met bythe end gate.

Other objects of the invention are so to mount one or both ol the gates that the gates will be held clear of the roadway whatever the depressions of the car body, and to provide the end gate axis with an adjustable form of stop which will allow of the gate while insuring of the quick release of the tray when the gate is swung inward.

Upon the accompanying drawing, Figures 1 and '2 illustrate general perspective views of the improved obstruction remover,

Fig-1 showing the gates and tray in the positions they occupy prior to meeting an obstruction, while Fig. 2 shows the gates and tray in the positions they occupy after meeting an obstruction. Fig. 3 illustrates a geometric side elevation, and Fig. 4 a plan of the improvedlifeguard, with the parts set ready for action. l v ion. .F

Fig. 5 illustrates a front 5 1s a sectional view show- Specification of Letters Patent.

AND THE LIKE.

Patented April 27, 1909.

Serial No. 418,906.

ing the manner of mounting the strap bars of the lront gate to the shaft 6. Figs. 6, 7 and 8 illustrate side, edge and plan views of a detail hereinafter described. Fig. 9 illustrates a side elevation, and Fig. 10 a plan of the guard when embodying the arrangement for raising the gates clear ol the roadway when the car body is depressed.

lic'lerring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a is the tray which is pivoted to the pilot board I) in the usual manner. 0 is the end gate and (Z the side gate, the lormer being suspended 'l'rom a cross shalt c and the latter being suspended from a shaltf and both shalts being axially supported by hangers g on the car body, or by other and suitable devices. At one end the two shalts lie in close proximity to each other, and upon such ends an arrangement ol' mechanism is provided whereby, when either ol the shalts is rotated, the motion is transmitted to the other shalt and in such a manner that the side gate shalt rotates at a quicker rate than the end gate shalt. One arrangement consists ol a boss 7i carrying a finger-projection or rod i, see Figs. 6 and 8, and mounted last and adjust-ably upon the end gate shalt c. It also consists 01' a lurther boss carrying or lormed in one with a slotted arm /r and mounted last and adjustably upon the side gate shalt f. The angle ol the rod t to, its boss and its relationship to the slotted arm are such that in all positions of the gate it projects through the slot of the arm, and when the end gate rotates inwardly the side gate is rotated inwardly and in advance ol the end gate. The positions ol the rod and slotted arm may, if desired, be reversed. 'lo reduce the lriction between the rod and arm, the rod may be fitted with a loose sleeve or a series ol short sleeves or runners. Another and more prcl'erable arrangement consists ol two unequal sized bevel wheels Z Z, the lormer fixed on the end of the shalt e and having more teeth than the latter which is fixed upon the shalt Instead ol complete bevel wheels being used, segmental wheels may be used.

The end gate axis or shalt e and the tray axis a are provided with the usual fittings and connections lor holding the 'lront edge ol the tray elevated when the end gate is vertical and lowering it when the gate is moved inward, the connectionsbeing, by preference of the toggle joint kind, with a spring to maintain the oint and force down the tray edge when the toggle is broken. The said parts comprise the lever arm n on the tray axis, the connecting rod 0 (made in two parts with turn buckle p to adjust the len th of the rod), and the short lever arm mounted fast on the shaft 6 and to the free end of which is linked the rod 0.

r is the resetting rod with foot plate 8 at its upper end, and at its lower end, after passing through the car floor, pivotally con.- nected to a further fixed arm on the shaft e. When the plate 8 is resting on the floor of the car it serves to hold the connecting pin of the arm 9 and rod 0 slightly below a straight line drawn between the shaft 6 and the upper end of the lever arm n, and thus produce the desired toggle by which the front edge of the tray is held raised.

The gates each consist of long adjustable strap bars and, by preference, two wood cross-battens, those of the end gate being bent at one end and extending back to a point near the ends of those of the side gate, see Fig. 4.

To allow the end gate a to swing outward without affecting the tray, the strap bars are loosely mounted upon the shaft and an ad justable arm t is rigidly fixed upon the shaft e alongside each strap bar, which, at its free end, is slightly curved and lies behind the strap bar, see Fig. 3. When the car is depressed the gate is free to swing forward,and should the gate touch the roadway when at the rear of the car, it is free to travel without being damaged or broken.

The strap bars of both-gates may be fast upon their axes, but in order to allow the end gate to swing outward or rearwardly when at the rear of the car, the bars may be loose on the end gate axis, and only act on the gate through the abutment of the gate with a projection on the axis. That is to say, the gate axis may have an adjustable but fixed boss 15 carrying a projection or arm t, designed to he immediately behind the strap bar, so that, while allowing the gate to swing outward without affecting the toggle, it breaks such toggle as soon as the gate moves inward.

To help in holding the front edge of the tray down upon the roadway, the pilot board may carry a pivoted plate u, see Fig. 5, which, on the front edge of the tray being lowered on to the track, engages a shoulder or notch in the lever arm n and thus prevents the edge of the tray rising until withdrawn.

According to the further features of the invention, which are shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the end gate axis or shaft 6, and also, if desired, the shaft f of the side gate, is carried by two long levers o, o, the gate shafts being suspended by their strap bars from a bent rod w and the rod beingcarried by the levers, see Fig. 10. These levers are each fulcrumed upon brackets 90 mounted on the pilot board or other fixed part of the car under-frame, and the end of each lever, beyond the fulcrum, is turned upward and bears against the under-frame of the car body, see Fig. 9. Each lever is or may be guided by a forked guide y depending from the car body, and each may bear against the underface of the car through the medium of a roller 12 With the parts thus mounted and arranged, it will be seen that any depression of the car body will cause the levers to raise the gate axes, and thus prevent the lower edges of the gates touching the roadway, while should the ear rise the levers will lower the gates and thus maintain the gates at a normal level. By varying the position of the fulcrums of thelevers, the rise and fall of the gates may be varied.

Usually it will suffice if the end gate is adjustably supported, the side gate then being supported from the car body and. the levers v, t directly engaging the end gate shaft. In such an arrangement the teeth of the bevel wheels Z, Z will be made deep in order that, with the rise and fall of the gate, they shall always be in mesh.

The strap bars may each be made in two parts, and one or both parts be slotted so as to allow of the lower edge of the gate being adjusted in height relatively to the roadway, and the connections of the bars may be such as to allow the lower part of the gate to rise up should it touch the roadway.

When desired there may be two side gates, one for each side of the car, and both working in conjunction with the end gate.

To protect the bevel wheels from dirt, etc., they may be incased in a divided cover 2, see Figs. 1 and 2.

W'hile the improved lifeguard-or obstruction remover is intended chiefly for tramcars, it may be applied to motor buses and other vehicles of a like kind. Also, while preferring to use the toggle joint arrangement for holding the front edge of the tray elevated and the breaking the toggle for lowering such edge, other and suitable arrangement of mechanism.

hat I claim is I may em loy any struction removers for tramcars and the like, an end gate and a side gate, and means whereby the inward movement of one gate is transmitted to the other gate, and such other gate is caused to also move inward substantially as herein set forth. V

2. In combination in lifeguards or obstruction removers for tramcars and the like, an end gate, a shaft and hangers for supporting the gate, a side gate and a shaft and hangers for supporting such side gate, in combination with a slotted lever arm on the shaft of one gate, and a rod on the shaft of the other gate such rod being set at an angle and projecting through the slotted arm, substantially as and for the purposes herein described.

3. In combination in lifeguards or obstruction removers for tramcars and the like, an end gate, a shaft and hangers for sup orting the gate, a side gate and a shaft and Iiangers for supporting such side gate, means for rocking the shaft of the end gate and means for transmitting the movement of said shaft to the shaft of the side gate, substantially as and for the purposes herein described.

4. In combination in lifeguards or ob struction removers for tramcars and the like, a gate and gate shaft, strap bars therefor loosely mounted on the said gate shaft and each bar formed in two parts, means for adjustably connecting the said parts and an arm. or arms adjustably fixed on the gate axis, and lying immediately behind the strapbars when the gate hangs vertically substantially as and for the purposes herein described.

5. In combination in lifeguards or ohl l l struction removers for tramcars and the like, a swing gate, levers carrying such gate, brackets secured to a fixed. art of the undertruck of the traincar, and said levers fulcrumed thereon while their free extremities beyond the brackets bear against the underface of the car, substantially as and for the purposes herein described.

6. In combination in lifeguards, or obstruction removers for tramcars and the like, an end. gate and a side gate, a bent rod, means for supporting the gates from such rod, and levers for carrying the said rod, brackets on a fixed part of the car undertruck on which the free end of the levers beyond the bracket bearing against the under-face of the tramcar, substantially as and for the purposes herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH BOWRING.

Witnesses I. D. BAILEY, F. C. PENNINGTON.

levers are fulcrumed, the i 

